The Unknown
by Cathloo
Summary: Starts at the end of Angel of Darkness. Lara and Kurtis are finally free of the monster that brought them together, but will it tear them apart? Or will Karel strike again? This is a story of love, loss and hatred. One that may not have a happy ending... (LC&KT)
1. Chapter 1

After defeating Eckhardt, Lara made her way back to the ledge where Kurtis had given her a boost. Not knowing another way down, she jumped off and landed in a crouch. Her ankles felt as if they were on fire after taking the brunt of the jump.

Boaz's body lay about eight feet away, her head lying innocently beside it. Lara took note that kurtis wasn't anywhere to be seen; that was when she spied his ancient weapon, laid unmoving, in a pool of blood. She stumbled over to it, her side painful. Picking up the weapon, it began to pull her towards the door in which Boaz had emerged. The weapon could have pulled her arm out of its socket.

Trailing the bladed disc, Lara found herself in a dark, dingy tunnel. In the distance there was a dull light, emitting from a gas lamp. She made her way through the tunnel, following the constant footprints until she heard the sound of distant groaning. Following the sound, Lara saw what looked to be an injured man using the wall of the tunnel for support.

Removing one of her desert eagles from its holster, Lara cautiously stepped closer to the man. There was something familiar about him, the dark hair, and the ragged clothes. Holding her pistol in front of her, she confronted him.

"Don't make a sound, just turn slowly towards me" Lara said, in her demanding tone. The man whirled around, Lara found herself staring down the oh-so-familiar barrel of Kurtis's Boran X and gazing deep into his azure eyes. Realizing that the woman was Lara, Kurtis put the Boran back into his side holster. Lara too, was about to relent until she remembered Karel's transformations, which included that of Kurtis. She levelled her gun back up to the surprised face of Kurtis.

Kurtis stood there, surprise flickered across his face which was then replaced by concern when Lara's eyes widened in panic. He gripped his abdomen where Boaz had skewered him and looked into the panicked and determined eyes of Lara.

"Lara, what are you doing?" Kurtis asked, becoming quite concerned at her behaviour. She sighed before speaking.  
>"How do I know that you're not Karel?" Lara asked, trying to keep a straight face. Kurtis looked at her in confusion. He began to wonder what Karel had done to make this usually bright, confident young woman to make her so panicked…so…vulnerable.<br>"Lara, it's me, it's Kurtis" Kurtis replied, looking at Lara's shaking hands before looking into her eyes that were filled with unshed tears.  
>"That's not enough, please Kurtis, I need proof" Lara said, her voice wavering. Kurtis looked at Lara with sympathy evident in his eyes.<br>"You came into Café Metro and threatened Pierre; the owner. You retrieved a box for him from Le Serpent Rouge and I nearly knocked you down with my bike" Kurtis recalled, relieved when Lara slowly lowered the gun. She gave a sigh before placing the gun back into its holster.

Gingerly, Lara took the last few steps up to Kurtis and mouthed the words 'I'm sorry'. Kurtis gave her a nod before groaning in pain, his stomach wound bleeding heavily. Lara took hold of one of his arms and wrapped it around her shoulders, effectively holding him up. Using her right arm, Lara hooked it around Kurtis's waist and hoistered him into a less painful position. He gave a weak groan as Lara began to steadily guide them, as one, to the nearest exit which was at the end of the tunnel.

They emerged into a loading bay, taking it slow due to the severity of Kurtis's wound. Coming up to a metal fire exit, Lara placed Kurtis against the wall whilst she checked whether it was safe. She cautiously opened the door a crack and saw that the French police were swarmed outside. Lara slammed the door back shut and turned to abruptly look at Kurtis weak form.

Seeing the look on her face, Kurtis reached for his Boran. When Lara saw what he was attempting, she shook her head and closed her eyes before heavily sighing.

"What is it?" Kurtis asked, his tone becoming panicked at Lara's paled face. "Lara, you have to tell me".  
>"The police. I'm still a wanted woman. Don't forget, I'm the monstrum" Lara said, her tone becoming bitter at the last sentence. Kurtis placed a hand on her cheek and watched as she visibly relaxed.<br>"You need to go. Now. Before they catch you. If they get you and lock you up, when I recover I will come and get you out. You can trust me" Kurtis said, his tone sincere. Lara shook her head. She knew she wasn't getting out of this one. Her reputation was in tatters, her life turned upside down. The only people who she could trust now was Winston and Kurtis. Lara took one last look at Kurtis, who was slumped against a pillar and opened the door.

Kurtis's eyes widened when he realized what she was going to do. She was giving herself up. She was going to sacrifice her freedom. Kurtis lunged for her arm, but caught nothing but air.

"Lara!?" Kurtis groaned. He stumbled after her, wanting to stop her from making a mistake. There was no chance that she would run, he should have known that. She is Lara Croft after all. Tailing her, Kurtis stepped into the bright lights beyond the doorway. The police were gathered in a semi-circle, prepared for a fight to the death with the monstrum. Even though they were told that she was a woman, they were still on edge. The monstrum had been on the streets of Paris and Prague for months now and this was their only lead, a woman that had been spotted leaving Werner Von Croy's apartment with blood on her hands that had been running from police the same night.

Lady Lara Croft had been a mystery; disappearing from police radar. And it appears that since then she has made a new friend by the name of Kurtis Trent. It could be that he could be considered as an accomplice. Now here she was, giving herself up to them.

Lara walked forward, keeping her hands in the air, her braid swinging in the breeze.

"Get down on the ground with your hands up!" One of the officers shouted through a megaphone. "We don't want to have to use force."

Lara sighed, she knew it would come to this. She knelt down with her hands up. Two officers came at the ready with handcuffs. They forced her down to the ground, she grunted as one of the officers placed a heavy foot on her back. Kurtis was forced to his knees as an officer called for an ambulance. Taking in the scene, Kurtis saw what they were doing to Lara. It made his blood boil. She had surrendered, she wasn't resisting.

"Hey! Hey! Let her go, she's not gonna run. Trust me." Kurtis shouted to the officer. The officer sneered at him.  
>"She's the monstrum. 'She's not gonna run' are you kidding me? She ran before, she should count herself lucky that we didn't shoot her on sight" The officer said, smirking at Kurtis's attempts. Kurtis rolled his eyes. Lara gave Kurtis a weak smile in gratitude; she knew he was only trying to ease the situation.<p>

The officer that had his foot on Lara's back clicked a set of shiny silver handcuffs tightly around her wrists and thrusted his foot harder into her back. Lara took a sharp intake of breath and clenched her hands together to get her mind to focus. Kurtis really wasn't happy with their treatment of Lara. He got up off of his knees and stumbled over to the officer.

"Cut her some slack, she surrendered even though she's not the person you're after." Kurtis said menacingly, his tone making the officer step back. Kurtis took hold of Lara's forearm and pulled her up, she stumbled so he gripped her tighter and set her on her feet.

Walking up to the officer, Kurtis decided a little payback was in order as Lara was his friend, someone he can actually trust. "How would you like it if someone was to knock you down and thrust their foot into your back, huh?" Kurtis asked, his tone patronizing. "You wouldn't. Isn't there a saying that goes 'treat others as you would like to be treated yourself?' I guess you didn't follow that rule, unless you want me to do that. So here's the deal, you leave her be or I decide to do to you what you did to her, do you understand?" His tone had become so menacing that Lara took an involuntary step back. Her eyes widened when his threat had an unspoken message that he was protecting her, in his own way.

The officer stepped back and walked back to his vehicle. As he did, Kurtis turned back to face Lara who looked like someone who had been threatened herself.

"Lara?" Kurtis asked, his tone full of concern. He knew that Lara would be a bit off after everything that had happened, but she looked scared, really scared. "You okay?" She looked at him as if he had grown an extra head. "Lara?" He asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. She immediately flinched back, as if burned.

Kurtis knew immediately what had happened. She had gone into shock. He knew that it wasn't surprising after everything that had gone on. Taking a tentative step forward, Kurtis enveloped Lara in his arms, giving her a sense of safety and security.

"Kurtis..." Lara mumbled into his shoulder, tears leaking out of her eyes. "What are we going to do?" Kurtis rested his head in her hair as she spoke.  
>"We're going to get this all sorted. Together." Kurtis said defiantly. He then doubled over as his wound had got the better of him. Lara was at his side in an instant, gently holding him. The paramedics rushed over and were yelling orders at each other. Lara just sat there, not knowing what she could do to be of help to them.<p>

"Lara..." Kurtis groaned, his voice strained. Lara took hold of his hand to let him know she was still there. She had to work around the 'cuffs that were still secured around her wrists. The paramedics worked feverishly, attempting to get him stabilized. They placed bandages around his waist to quell the bleeding. Lara just kept tight hold of Kurtis's hand, as if she could stop him from slipping away. "Lara...stay wi...th me?" Kurtis asked weakly. Lara gave a slight laugh and a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.  
>"I will...just...just save your strength, you'll be needing it." Lara said, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Kurtis smirked weakly, giving Lara's hand a squeeze. One of the paramedics began speaking to Lara.<br>"Miss, we need to get him to a hospital, we have him stabilized but he needs surgery." Lara nodded slightly, still not releasing Kurtis's hand. The paramedic eyed the 'cuffs, knowing that Lara would be going with the police officer but also knowing that if Lara was to leave, the patient would become distressed, leaving him fighting the wrong battle. "Officer," the paramedic shouted. The officer dashed over, ready to take Ms Croft into custody. "You won't be needed," the paramedic said. Lara looked up strangely. "She'll be accompanying the patient to the hospital." The officer looked angry, but kept his words to himself, and removed the handcuffs from Lara's wrists.

The paramedics loaded Kurtis into the ambulance and then helped Lara in. They began to speed off towards the hospital.

"Lara...?" Kurtis groaned his voice a little stronger than before. "You still here?" Lara laughed before replying.  
>"Surely it should be me asking you that question?" Lara asked, one eyebrow raised and a beaming smile.<p>

They arrived at the hospital fairly quickly, once there; they rushed Kurtis to surgery leaving Lara with the forms to fill in. She filled them in as much as she could, only then realizing that she barely knew Kurtis Trent. She was then guided to a private waiting room where one of the doctors explained Kurtis's condition.

He had been impaled but it had missed all of his vital organs, they had been able to effectively patch him up and get him to recovery. They had, had to give him a general anaesthetic so he would be groggy for a while but otherwise fine. Lara was relived to hear this. She had been tense, sitting there in a plastic waiting room chair.

"When will I be able to see him?" Lara asked politely, her good manners taking over. The doctor fidgeted a bit, knowing Lara was supposed to be in police custody.  
>"You can see him now since you'll be...indisposed tomorrow," The doctor said snidely. Lara ignored this as she was desperate to see Kurtis. The doctor escorted Lara to the recovery room where Kurtis had been placed.<p>

Walking slowly, Lara saw Kurtis in the bed at the end of the long room. She gingerly stepped near the bed, not wanting to disturb his relatively peaceful sleep. Carefully placing a chair next to the bed, Lara sat down and placed her backpack on the floor. She sat with a straight back for about half an hour before finally relenting and leaning back. By this time it was about 22:30 and Lara was exhausted. Dozing off, Lara's body slumped and she fell into a deep sleep.

Kurtis awoke in a bright white room. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to his new surroundings, which he realized was a hospital. Noticing the window, Kurtis saw it was still dark outside which meant that it must have been really early morning. Seeing something move in the corner of his eye, Kurtis saw Lara, sleeping. She didn't look peaceful but Kurtis didn't want to wake her.

When she began to murmur words like 'Karel' Kurtis decided he had to wake her. He knew that it was a particularly traumatic event for her, and that she wouldn't want to re-live it. Being careful of his bandaging, Kurtis slipped out of the bed and carefully stepped near Lara. He gently nudged her awake slowly, not wanting to wake her too abruptly. Lara opened her eyes to see Kurtis, looking at her, concerned.

"You okay?" He asked, looking into her eyes. Lara smiled.  
>"Of course. I should be asking you that, you're the one in the hospital. So the question is, how are you?" Lara asked, smirking. Kurtis shrugged and sat back down on the bed.<br>"I'm not too bad, it doesn't hurt much." Kurtis said, referring to his wound. Lara leaned back in her chair as the awkward silence took over. "Y'know Lara, I'm glad you stuck around."  
>"Well, I'm going to get going; I'm supposed to be having a meeting with a detective." Lara said, her tone not giving anything away. Kurtis knew that he shouldn't be surprised, Lara had been through a lot these past few days and he doubted that spending time with a man who was recovering in hospital was helping her.<br>"Okay, will I see you later?" Kurtis asked, hopeful. Lara smiled.  
>"Sure, if I don't get arrested in the meantime" Lara said, her tone humorous. And with that she strolled out of the hospital, happy that Kurtis wanted her around.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**_Prague police station, 01:30am_**

"Take a seat, Ms Croft, Detective Benoit will be with you shortly." The officer at the desk says to Lara. Lara sat down on a nearby chair, looking around at all the officers who were putting away criminals on a regular basis.

Lara began to fidget nervously. She was never usually nervous when it came to being questioned by the police, but since it was the murder of Werner that they were questioning her for, she was not only nervous but scared. Scared that they would lock her away and throw away the key and to be honest, that frightened her more than anything.

She knew that if she was put away, that at least she'd have one visitor. Kurtis. He wouldn't just leave her to rot, would he? Lara was taken out of her thoughts as Detective Benoit called her name and took her to an interrogation room. He set up the recorder.

"Detective Benoit on case #71524 with a suspect in the monstrum murders, Lady Lara Croft of Abbingdon. So Ms Croft, what were you doing at the apartment of one, Werner Von Croy on the night of the 6th June?" Detective Benoit asked, starting the interrogation. Lara knew to answer as honestly as possible.  
>"Well Detective, after receiving a phone call on the 5th June from Werner, asking me to go to Paris, I got on a plane. He sounded spooked, nothing like the Werner that I knew, so when I arrived I was surprised when Werner told me about some psychopath that he was working for. If my memory serves me correct, his name was Pieter Van Eckhardt," Lara said, taking a deep breath before she continued. "He told me about some paintings he was getting for this 'Eckhardt' and he also told me that he didn't feel safe, so he had bought a gun. Then he told me to get out of the way," a tear slipped out of her eyes and she swiped it with her finger. "That was when I was shoved into a bookcase on the far wall and passed out. When I woke up, Werner was dead." Lara finished with a sigh and looked up at the detective. He took a few notes down. After asking a few more questions, the detective explained the implications that she was involved in the murders and then threatened her with going to jail or being exiled back to England, where she would be tried for seven counts of murder. That was when she broke down and wished that she had stayed at the hospital, with Kurtis.<br>"I did not kill Werner! I didn't kill anybody! I came here to help you; these murders had been going on LONG before I came to Paris. So accuse me all you like, I DIDN'T DO THIS!" with that she slammed her fist on the table and walked out of the interrogation room.

Detective Benoit went after her, catching her arm and slamming her, front first, into the nearest wall. She yelped and tried to push back, but she was defenceless. Detective Benoit was a big guy. He leaned into her and began to whisper in her ear.  
>"Ms Croft, this could all be cleared by me if you be a good girl and do as I say. Do we have an understanding?" he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. She tried to turn around but he pushed her head against the wall. "Do we have an understanding?!" He repeated, raising his voice a little. Lara nodded weakly, not wanting things to get worse. He sniffed her hair and gently stroked a hand down her neck, breathing in her sweet scent. Lara recoiled, wishing Kurtis knew what was going on and come to save her like a knight in shining armour, but she knew that; that only happens in fairytales.<p>

**_Prague Hospital, 02:13am_**

Kurtis had further slept since Lara's decision to see a detective. He had spent the first twenty minutes worrying about her decision. He knew how unpredictable the police in this area can be, let alone the few detectives that they have. Feeling his eyelids drooping, Kurtis succumbed to the darkness...

Feeling a slight stinging sensation in the back of his mind, Kurtis awoke. Something big was happening, he could feel it. Focusing on the stinging, Kurtis saw that it was Lara causing it. Well, Lara's pain. He shot up, his need for Lara's safety shooting through his veins like the blood within them.

He could sense her distress; he could also sense that her thoughts were dwelling on him. Why? He focused harder, finding Lara's need for him to be there for her. Kurtis entered Lara's mind to find out precisely what was happening.

**_Lara? Are you there?  
><em>**_Kurtis? Kurtis! Help me please!  
><em>_**Lara, I need you to tell me what's going on. What's happening?**_

Then there was silence. Kurtis was beginning to become restless not knowing what was happening to Lara. He continuously tried to contact her, via his mind powers but nothing. Hearing her distant thoughts was the only way he could find out if she was okay.

_'What am I going to do? What am I going to do? This cannot be happening. After everything that happened with Karel and Eckhardt, now this. This sick son of a bitch is going to take advantage of me while I'm down...'_

Kurtis began to dress when he heard the last part of her thoughts. Some douche-bag was doing something to Lara, something that she didn't want them to do. All kinds of ideas about what was happening began to run through his mind.

Once dressed, Kurtis snuck out of the door since he wasn't officially discharged. After going out of the front entrance of the hospital, Kurtis hailed a cab and asked the driver to take him to the police station.

Arriving outside, Kurtis paid the driver. He walked into the police station and waltzed up to the front desk.

"I'm looking for Lara Croft, she should be here." Kurtis said, looking at the officer behind the desk. The officer looked up from the paperwork.  
>"She's with Detective Benoit, not entirely sure where. Let's hope that she hasn't pissed him off." The officer said snidely. Kurtis glared at him before going through the door at the end of the hall, intent on finding Lara.<p>

Strolling down to the end of the corridor, Kurtis took a right and what he saw, he wished he hadn't. Lara was pinned up against the wall by some guy who was at least three times her size.

**_Prague police station, 02:38am_**

Lara's knuckles were white as she balled her fists to stop her hands from trembling. Looking off into the distance, Lara saw Kurtis. The one person she had been wishing would come and save her.

Her thoughts were in overdrive. Kurtis was here, he could save her. The question was, would he? He had made a pretty big admission at the hospital by saying that he was glad she had stuck around and what had she said? That she was going down to the station. And what had happened? This.

Lara closed her eyes, silently praying that she had just stayed at the hospital, with Kurtis. Praying that she had just admitted that she was glad that she stuck around too. But there was no time for regrets now, Detective Benoit seemed deadly serious about what he appeared to suggest. He was suggesting that he wanted sex in exchange for her freedom.

Kurtis stepped behind Detective Benoit, grabbing his collar and dragging him away from Lara. Lara slid down to her knees as her shoulders sagged, she began to weep. Detective Benoit attempted to get out of Kurtis's hold, to no avail. Kurtis had a strong grip.

Kurtis punched Benoit in the jaw, sending him hurtling to the ground, knocking him out cold. Once he was down, Kurtis looked over at Lara who was now sobbing into her hands, shoulders shaking. He took a tentative step towards, coming into close proximity of her. Lara flinched slightly, but enough for Kurtis to see she was hurting. He had surmised that it was because of Benoit when in reality, she was hurting because even after she had perceived that Kurtis was untrustworthy, he had proved her wrong. He had saved her when she couldn't even save herself.

Carefully, Kurtis placed his arms around Lara, enveloping her in a warm hug. She didn't reciprocate at first but then she relaxed in his arms, embracing the security of the hug and laced her arms around his waist. Kurtis began to whisper soothing words into her ear.

"Shh, shh, shh. It'll be okay." Kurtis whispered reassuringly. He gently stroked Lara's hair and kissed the top of her head in a bid to calm her. Lara smiled into the crook of his neck. She loved the fact that he was caring for her like this, even though she would never admit it.

Kurtis stood up with Lara still wrapped around him. He walked her out of the police station, giving a passing glance at the officer that was still sat behind the desk, oblivious to it all.

Once outside, Kurtis hailed yet another cab and held the door open for Lara. He took note of the fact she was reluctant to let him go as she climbed into the cab. He then walked around to the other side of the cab and got in. The rain began to pour as the cab drove to a local hotel that Kurtis had directed him to.

Kurtis paid for the cab ride, and then escorted Lara into the hotel. Looking suspiciously around the room, Kurtis felt paranoid. He felt like he was being watched. That's when he saw why. There was a bunch of photographers sitting in the lobby of the hotel; obviously premeditating that Lara would be out and about. They caught sight of Lara and sprinted to get photographs.

Kurtis eyed them and then noticed Lara's tensed stance. He walked over to her side. The photographers started asking all kinds of questions like 'Did you kill Werner Von Croy?' or 'Are you the monstrum?' Lara ignored their questions until one of them asked 'How did it go with Detective Benoit?'

Lara lost it completely. She was about to lunge at the photographer when Kurtis wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to his chest.

"Calm it, Lara." Kurtis whispered to her. Lara let out a frustrated sigh before pulling away. She stomped over to the front desk and waited for Kurtis to catch up. Which he did, after about two minutes. Lara raised an eyebrow in his direction, which he saw, and narrowed his eyes at her before turning to the woman at the desk.

"Can we have a room for two singles please?" Kurtis asked, leaning on the desk. The woman tapped a few keys on her computer before replying.  
>"I'm sorry sir; we only have a double room available. Will that be okay?" she asked with a smile. Kurtis looked at Lara and smirked.<br>"Sure, that'll be fine." Kurtis said, giving Lara an innocent look. Lara shook her head good-naturedly before smiling. The woman handed Kurtis two sets of keys.

Kurtis bowed before Lara and held his hand out chivalrously whilst smirking.

"Care to join me m'lady?" Kurtis asked Lara, keeping his hand held out for her. Lara smiled and took hold of his hand.  
>"Of course kind sir." Lara said sarcastically. Kurtis then held out his arm and Lara looped her arm through his. He then led Lara through a set of doors that led to the stairs.<p>

Walking up, Lara smiled to herself, loving the feeling of being with Kurtis. She kept her feelings to herself, not wanting to lose him because of her inability to be vulnerable with a guy. Whereas he had gone and fallen in love with her. He, Kurtis Trent, had fallen in love with Lady Lara Croft of Abbingdon.

Arriving at the room, Kurtis put the key in the door and turned it. Lara pushed the door open and yawned, feeling the strain of the day's events. Kurtis noticed this and kept an eye on her whilst he went and took a seat at the small table in the corner of the room.

Lara decided that the best idea at the moment was a nice, hot, relaxing shower. She stumbled off in the direction of the bathroom, feeling Kurtis's eyes follow her every move. Lara smiled before stepping into the bathroom. She put a towel on the towel warmer and turned the shower on.

Stripping down, Lara got in the shower and had a good wash. After fifteen minutes of standing under the cascade of water, she stepped out of the shower and placed a towel around her hair and a towel around her body.

Kurtis heard the water go on and decided to get a drink. Once poured, Kurtis downed the whole glass and placed it back on the silver tray. Then he heard the water go off so he sat back in the chair and picked up a magazine.

Lara stepped out of the bathroom and closed her eyes as a headache worked its way through her mind. Kurtis saw her sway and was at her side in an instant. He placed a hand on her forehead and checked her temperature. He felt that she was quite warm, a little too warm. Even without putting his hand on her forehead to feel her temperature, he could feel her headache like a splinter in his mind.

"Lara, you feeling okay?" Kurtis asked, concerned. Lara smiled slightly before nodding solemnly.  
>"Yes, I'm fi-" Lara started but stopped when she began to sway before passing out. Kurtis's eyes widened as he caught her in his arms. Careful not to hurt her, Kurtis gently lowered Lara to the ground. He began to gently fan her face, in an attempt to keep her temperature down.<p>

Giving up on that act, Kurtis placed one arm under her legs and the other around her back and pulled her into his arms – bridal style. He took her over to the bed and placed her down on it before picking up the phone and calling the hotel medic.

The medic, called Andy, examined Lara. He concluded that she was sleep deprived and needed to rest. He gave Kurtis some pills that Lara should take in order for her to get easier rest. Kurtis thanked Andy and shook his hand. Andy left and Kurtis went over to the bed and sat down on the edge, looking at Lara's pale complexion. He then stroked some hair out of Lara's eyes and went back over to his chair in the corner, not wanting to invade her sleep space. Before he did though, he kissed her forehead and draped the duvet over her.

Kurtis spent a few minutes watching Lara sleep peacefully and then fell asleep on the chair in which he was sat, thinking of nothing but Lara.


	3. Chapter 3

It was still dark outside when Kurtis awoke. He was awakened by the sound of Lara tossing and turning in her sleep. She was having a nightmare, and by the sounds of it; it was getting worse the longer she stayed asleep. Kurtis stood up, stretched and then walked over to the bed. Lara had begun thrashing in her sleep so Kurtis grabbed her wrists and began speaking to her in low tones.

"Croft, calm down." Kurtis kept repeating to Lara. He brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them each in turn. Lara visibly relaxed and so did Kurtis. To be honest, it was rare for Kurtis to ever be relaxed, he spent so much time worrying about the people he loved. This causes quite a problem as most of the people he loves end up dead. His father, his mother, the whole of the Lux Veritatis. He didn't want Lara to end up dead because he had gone and done something reckless like go and fall head-over-heels in love with her.

Kurtis then placed both of her hands back under the duvet. He needed to go out and compile more information on Eckhardt and Karel, but he didn't want to leave Lara here; on her own. Eventually he decided he was going to have to if he wanted to get a head start. He wrote a note for Lara if she woke up before he was back.

_Lara,  
>if you wake and I'm gone, I've gone to do some research on Eckhardt and Karel. I'll be back soon.<br>Kurtis._

He left it on the bedside table and was about to leave when he heard Lara begin to whimper. Kurtis turned to Lara and whispered "I'm sorry"

Half an hour later...

Hearing a loud banging noise, Lara awoke to see the barrel of a gun in her face. She caught a glimpse of the person behind it...Benoit. He was there, with a gun and there appeared to be no Kurtis around. Lara began to wonder. Where on earth was he?

Lara spotted the note and read it from afar. He had gone to do research. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that he had left whilst she was sleeping, she would have liked to have gone with him. Then she remembered Benoit was here, with a gun.

Taking a deep breath, Lara attempted to keep herself relaxed. She physically felt that she couldn't relax whilst Kurtis wasn't here. Benoit grabbed hold of her wrist and dragged her out of the bed. Lara winced and tried to bite his wrist, but to no avail.

"Let me go you bastard." Lara said menacingly. Benoit rolled his eyes.  
>"Listen here you little bitch," Benoit said, shoving her into the bathroom, in which there was only one small window. "Your boyfriend isn't here to save you now so I can have you instead." Lara had to bite her lip to stop herself from being sick at the thought of him.<br>"Kurtis will be back soon and you'll regret ever crossing us." Lara whispered, breathing deeply. Benoit slapped her across the cheek.  
>"I don't want to have to hurt you, well not like that anyway." He said smiling evilly, his intent clear.<p>

That was when Lara made play for the gun. They began a dispute on the floor but Benoit had the upper hand as he was bigger. Lara had hold of the gun and was about to pull the trigger when Benoit turned the gun on her as she pulled it. The shot went off and Lara took in a sharp intake of breath. Benoit's eyes widened when he realized what he'd done. He had shot Lady Lara Croft, in cold-blood. Lara turned herself over and gritted her teeth against the pain. Benoit picked up his gun and took one last glance at Lara before walking back to the door and leaving. He had left the door open ajar so Lara tried calling out. It didn't work. She crawled across the floor and slid out the door.

Once in the main room, Lara noticed that Benoit had left the hotel room door open also. She tried calling out again before crawling into the lounge.

"Help...anybody...please." Lara croaked, feeling the darkness on the horizon but trying not to succumb.

_22 minutes later..._

Kurtis had been at the local library for nearly an hour, checking the archives for information on Karel and Eckhardt. He was exhausted after his interrupted sleep on the dining chair and was now ready to go back to the hotel and sleep off his bad day. About five minutes after he had left Lara; he had felt a sense of adrenaline rushing through his veins as if something bad was going to happen. He had thought nothing of it until now...

Arriving back at the hotel around five minutes later, Kurtis asked the woman at the front desk if Lara had left the hotel at all. When the woman said that Lara hadn't been seen all day, or ordered anything to the room, Kurtis began to wonder what she had been doing since he had left.

Deciding to take the elevator, Kurtis got up the floor that he and Lara were staying on a lot faster than normal. He stepped out of the elevator as he was getting his key out and walked over to the room. The least he could say was that he was surprised. The door had been forced open. Kurtis removed his Boran X from his side holster and cautiously opened the door. Holding the Boran in front of him, Kurtis entered the room and noted that some of the furniture had been moved. Not by much but it was noticeable to him.

Kurtis checked around the suite for any sign of an intruder or even Lara for that matter. Since stepping in, Kurtis had wondered where Lara was. Checking through the whole of the suite, Kurtis finally walked over to the last room; the lounge. He opened the double doors and pointed the gun forward, in defensive position.

Entering the room, he walked around the flower print sofa that had centre stage in the middle of the room. That's where he found Lara. Not only did he find her, he found that she was in a pool of blood. She was knelt on the floor, slouched on the side of the glass coffee table. He was at her side in an instant, checking her now slow pulse.

"C'mon Croft, wake up." Kurtis said; a little sharper than intended. Her eyes opened sleepily "Croft, stay with me, you can't leave me now."

Kurtis was trying not to lose his cool. He knew that if he started getting hysterical, then it would rub off on Lara. He took hold of her shoulders and leaned her on him, giving her more comfort. Using one arm, Kurtis held Lara up with an arm around her shoulders. He could feel her blood seeping through his shirt and he wished that he had never left. He hadn't learned anything that he didn't know before so technically it wasn't worth it. He wished that he had not only left the suite but also that he hadn't ignored the adrenaline rush, which he had now worked out had been Lara's feelings.

Lara began to whimper softly. She wasn't the type of person to let out what she was feeling but the pain was intense. Felling like her insides were on fire, Lara attempted to move but felt herself being restrained. She panicked when she realized it was a person. _Could it be Benoit? _She asked herself.

Kurtis grabbed the cordless hotel phone and called the paramedics. Their ETA was around five minutes so all Kurtis had to do was keep Lara awake and breathing until help came.

Opening her eyes slightly, Lara could see the silhouette of a person. She tried to move her arms but found herself held tightly in someone's arms. She could hear their voice, telling her to wake up, that help was on its way. Doubts were all that she had. She felt like she was dying and that these could be her last moments. The voice sounded familiar. Was it Kurtis? Had he come to save her?

Kurtis was watching Lara, watching her confused expression. She was in pain, he knew that and he just wished that he could take it away. _'Where are those god damn medics?' _Kurtis thought to himself. He hated seeing Lara in pain, especially when it was his fault. He was the one who left her alone after-all. Kurtis stroked a finger down her cheekbone, feeling like he wanted to cry.

Lara focused her eyes on the person, who she now knew was in fact Kurtis. She felt something brush her cheekbone and she revelled in the contact. Her skin ignited at the touch of the one person whose trust she still held, the touch was soft and gentle and she felt like she could have his fingers caress her for eternity. That's when she felt the burn of her wound. She closed her eyes tight, trying to null the pain, but it stayed; like a fire raging an assault on her body.

The medics arrived just as Lara closed her eyes. Kurtis had gone into full panic mode, Lara had gone unconscious and all he could do was watch as the medics worked feverishly. He knew that she was strong, she was a fighter.

He watched as they plunged an IV needle into Lara's hand and an oxygen mask on her face. To Kurtis, Lara looked dead; the only thing that told him otherwise was the steady beeping of the heart monitor that was now attached to her chest. Kurtis carefully stroked Lara's hand with his thumb. He had never shown his feelings before; there was never any need to, but now his love was wounded, maybe even dying and he had never shown her his gratitude to her for saving his life, and he had never told her that he loved her.

He was regretting leaving, all the pent up guilt was now getting to him as he felt Lara's fingers clench around his own. He knew that Lara wouldn't want him feeling this way, but somehow that didn't matter. Lara could be dying right now but there was no way he could know.

_Kurtis...? _ He heard in his mind. He became quite confused by it; he believed that his mind was in shock and that he was imagining Lara's voice.

_Kurtis...  
><em>_**Lara? Am I imagining this or is this real?  
><strong>__I...don't...I don't know...Kurt...Kurtis what's...Happening?  
><em>_**Lara! Breathe, just breathe. You'll be okay. Get some sleep; I'll be here when you wake up.  
><strong>__O...Okay..._

Kurtis then felt the mental connection waver as Lara fell into a heavily sedated sleep. He wished he knew what her condition was but as he wasn't family, they wouldn't tell him anything.

He sat there, in the waiting room. After dozing off, Kurtis awoke feeling better. He still couldn't get his head around the fact that Lara had been shot. Standing up, Kurtis began to stretch his legs when a nurse caught his attention.

"Mr Trent?" the nurse asked, giving a sympathetic smile. Kurtis looked up and focused his eyes on the nurse.  
>"Yeah, who's asking?" Kurtis asked; his tone cold. The nurse rolled her eyes before replying.<br>"I'm Nurse O'Connell; I've been dealing with Miss Croft." The nurse said, her pride unmissable in her tone.  
>"How is she? Can I see her?" Kurtis asked, his questions overlapping one another.<br>"She's stable for now, if she makes it through the next twelve hours then she should be fine" Nurse O'Connell said. "And yes, you can see her now. Follow me"

She led the way down the corridor and through to ICU. She slid her card through the ID slot and was granted access, leading Kurtis though the ward. He casually stumbled behind the nurse, making quick work of her slow pace.

Nurse O'Connell escorted Kurtis to Lara's room; room 16. She opened the door and let Kurtis through.

"Visiting hours were over awhile ago but you can stay for a bit" the nurse said, letting herself out of the room. Kurtis nodded as he stood just inside the room, near the entrance. He looked at Lara's fragile form; she looked so pale and lost. Kurtis gingerly walked over to her bedside and placed his hand on hers. Using his other hand, Kurtis dragged over the nearest chair and sat down.

"Oh God Lara, what have we gotten ourselves into?" Kurtis asked no-one imparticular. Kurtis looked down at his hands where his fingers had entwined with Lara's. Because of this, he didn't see Lara's eyelids twitching, her body on the verge of awakening. Her perfectly sculptured lips parted as her body took in the much needed air from the mask on her face.

She felt her throat tighten as she tried to talk to Kurtis, who she spied sitting in the chair next to her bed as she took in her surroundings. Her eyelids felt like they were weighed down with lead weights. Using the hand that wasn't already occupied, Lara carefully removed the mask from her face. Kurtis felt Lara twitch and looked up as she removed the oxygen mask. He smirked at her when she smiled at him.

"Hey," Lara rasped; her voice croaky with underuse. Kurtis gave her hand a slight squeeze to show he was there. "How...How long have...have you...been here?" she asked, her voice becoming wheezy. Kurtis placed the mask back on Lara's face, and he felt her body relax.  
>"Keep the mask on," Kurtis admonished. "It's helping you breathe, your body shut down and it had to be jump started again. You're lucky to be alive" Kurtis said, kissing her knuckles.<br>"I know," Lara whispered as her eyelids drooped. Kurtis stood and kissed her forehead.  
>"Sleep Lara. Sleep." Kurtis whispered before lounging in the chair and going to sleep himself.<p>

He awoke when one of the night nurses was checking Lara's vitals. He stretched his legs and then his arms and glanced over at Lara's sleeping form. Lara was having a dream from what Kurtis could tell and that relaxed him; knowing that she had survived the night was a sign that she was definitely going to pull through.

Silently walking, Kurtis stepped out of Lara's room and out of the doors of the hospital. '_God I need a cigarette'_ he thought to himself, pulling one out of the packet and grabbing his lighter. He had nearly lit it when, in the corner of his eye, he spotted a mercenary. He quickly replaced the cigarette in the packet and hurried back into the hospital.

As soon as he entered the ward he had broke into a run. His senses in overdrive as he neared Lara's room, only to find her room empty.

"Lara? Lara!" Kurtis shouted. He jumped when the bathroom door opened abruptly and Lara limped out. She saw the look on his face.  
>"What? Kurtis, what is it?" Lara asked, panicked.<br>"We need to leave, now. So get dressed and be ready in five minutes." Kurtis said, stalking out of the room and disappearing down the corridor.

Lara dressed quickly, not wanting to keep Kurtis waiting. She was just pulling her tank top on when a series of screaming and shouting began from down the corridor.


End file.
